Feral Pigs - Draft of the Declared Animal Policy

Consultation Process

UPDATE: Below is a record of what appeared on YourSAy during the open consultation process from 31 October 2017 to 31 January 2018.

Provide your feedback on a draft policy on the future management of feral pigs in South Australia.

What is being decided?

The draft declared animal policy on feral pigs (DOC 570KB) provides strategies to control and reduce feral pig populations across the South Australia.

To reduce the impact of feral animals in South Australia, Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) is reviewing declared animal policies under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM Act).

The review is in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), including staff from all NRM regions and boards and involves agricultural industry stakeholders and the broader community.

The objectives of the draft policy are to:

• Reduce numbers of feral pigs by removing at least 60 per cent of feral pigs from all established populations each year.
• Prevent domestic pigs from escaping into the wild.
• Prevent the release of domestic and feral pigs.

The main elements of this new draft policy are:

• Remove at least 60 per cent of feral pigs from all established populations each year.
• Prohibit the movement, possession and sale of feral pigs (note that domestic pigs have a separate declaration prohibiting their release).
• Require the public to notify NRM authorities of feral pigs (except on Kangaroo Island).
• Escaped domestic pigs are immediately classified as feral if they escape, and they must be destroyed if they stray from the property that is registered to keep them.

Under this NRM Act policy, the ear tagging of individual domestic pigs (to identify escapees) is not proposed in the draft policy, because such tags readily rip out, and tattoos cannot be seen from a distance. The annual cost of pest animals to Australia has been estimated by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions at nearly $800 million a year. The draft declared animal policy on feral pigs aims to minimise the environmental, economic and social impacts of feral pigs to the state.

How can your input influence the decision?

Anyone with an interest in or impacted by the management of feral pigs in South Australia is invited to comment on the draft declared animal policy on feral pigs. This includes landowners, hunters, pig farmers and producers and the public.

Your feedback will be taken into consideration by PIRSA, NRM boards and the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, in finalising the declared animal policy on feral deer.

Your feedback will be taken into consideration by Primary Industries and Regions SA, NRM Boards and the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, in finalising the declared animal policy on feral pigs.

Get involved

You can be involved in the conversation by:

• Commenting in our discussion forum.
• Emailing your feedback to PIRSA.NRMBIOSECURITY@sa.gov.au.
• Providing a written submission via post: Draft Declared Animal Policy – Feral Pig consultation, Biosecurity SA, GPO Box 1671, Adelaide SA 5001.

Specific objectives and issues are raised in this draft of the declared animal policy on feral pigs, but you may comment on any issue you believe is pertinent to this review. Submissions will be accepted up to 5pm on Wednesday 31 January 2018.

The declared animal policy on feral pigs will be completed in 2018 and will be made available on the PIRSA website.

About

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 31 October 2017 to 31 Janaury 2018. You can read more about the consultation process.